Austin Premises Liability Lawyer
Experienced Premises Liability Lawyer Serving Austin, TX
Many guests are unaware that it is the responsibility of property owners to provide a safe environment for guests, clients, and even trespassers on their property. Home owners and business owners often fail to understand the importance of ensuring that their property is kept safe, not only for their family, but for anyone who may be walking through the property, both invited and uninvited. If you have been injured on someone’s property, they may be liable for any injuries you received as a result of conditions on their property. If you have been injured negligently on a piece of property in Austin, contact skilled Austin Premises Liability Lawyer Joe Lopez, for more information today.
Types of Visitors
Guests and customers are placed into different categories regarding the amount of protection they receive under Texas law. While every person on your property is afforded some type of protection, this protection extends depending on what type of status they have.
An invitee is a person who receives the most protection under the law, and is typically a customer of a store or any other business setting. A property owner has a duty to prevent an invitee from experiencing any type of injuries on their property, whether they know of the danger or not. Even if a spill was unreported, the property owner could still be liable since the spill and subsequent injury occurred on their property. Hidden dangers are often found in large properties, such as resorts or hotels, but a property owner has a duty to thoroughly inspect their entire property for any dangers.
A licensee is a social guest who has less protection than an invitee, but is still afforded a high amount of protection under the law. However, a licensee will not be able to receive any damages if they overstep the boundaries a property owner set for them. For example, if a property owner warned them not to go into a certain room in their house or tinker with their gun cabinet, the licensee will become a trespasser if they ignore this warning and will be afforded less protection if an injury occurs.
A trespasser has the least amount of protection under the law, but a property owner still has a duty to prevent injuries against trespassers. For example, the property owner may not set a trap for trespassers which would result in extreme injuries.
Finally, a property owner must be aware of “attractive nuisances” which are especially susceptible to young children. A good example of an attractive nuisance is an empty swimming pool which children might see as a playground or a covered up well. Either situation can lead to extreme injuries by children and often always attract children to the property to play around the area. Hiring an experienced Austin premises liability lawyer can help if your child has been injured as a result of a property owners negligence. A property owner must take great steps to either prevent children from coming into their property or in completely concealing the attractive nuisance or fixing the danger.
Contact Our Austin, Texas Premises Liability Attorney
Premises liability can be a tricky section of the law to deal with, but personal injury attorney Joe Lopez has years of experience in handling premises liability cases. As a guest on property, you are entitled to a great deal of protection under the law and should not have been injured on another’s property. A property owner should be able to guarantee their guest’s safety, and should even be able to guarantee the safety of a trespasser. If you have been injured on someone’s property, do not hesitate to contact our office today for your initial free consultation.